The El Monte resident had said on a CHP job application that he watched child porn. An inquiry found an extensive collection, including pictures of him molesting a 5-year-old girl.

A 31-year-old El Monte man who molested a 5-year-old girl and took pictures of his attacks was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years in prison for producing child pornography.

Christian Hernandez was arrested in 2009 after he disclosed on his application to become a California Highway Patrol officer that he viewed child pornography on the Internet.

CHP officials launched an investigation, searching Hernandez's home, where they found "an extensive collection of child pornography depicting minors being raped by adult men" on his computer, according to briefs filed by prosecutors.

Among the images were pictures of Hernandez molesting a 5-year-old girl in the bedroom of his house, according to a statement by the U.S. attorney's office. Authorities said Hernandez sexually abused the child for at least a year.

Hernandez "has no shame regarding his conduct, instead, he bragged about his conduct on a job application to the CHP," prosecutors said in court papers.

U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II gave Hernandez the maximum prison sentence and ordered that he be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life when he is released. Hernandez was also ordered to pay more than $71,000 for counseling for the victim until she turns 18.

Wright said Hernandez deserved a lengthy sentence because of the enormous harm to the victims and Hernandez's ongoing denial of "the full extent of the sexual abuse of the victims," according to the U.S. attorney's statement.